The Open at Austin is here.

Without this blog I’m not even sure we get to this point. I wasn’t ready to get back in the course before the blog.

As we worked towards US Women’s last year people definitely started to treat me differently. They talked about Mint differently.

A lot of that added to the pressure I felt.

15 years ago I was an AM that threw far.

10 years ago I was the Pro working at Disc Nation.

5 years ago Mint was barely starting.

Sprinkle, HOTT and USWDGC were not part of the plan 5 years ago.

But here we are. We worked toward all of that. Put ourselves in situations to do all the things we do.

My own message the last 15 years has been pretty consistent I feel.

Sure I talked a little trash but I always tried to help people. I was never the best at anything.

Never tried to ask for much in return.

I just showed up every day and found a way to do disc golf every day. 

I guess where I’m going with this all today is that I want to talk about something I’ve struggled with….

People’s opinions of me. 

That bleeds into Mint pretty heavily.

I am at a point with Mint where I can’t talk back. But people can say whatever they want about me.

I changed some the last few years because of what was needed of me.

The only thing I dream of is simplicity now.

What broke me last year was the criticism.

I was really frustrated that I couldn’t defend myself from criticism I didn’t feel we deserved.

7 days a week for almost 8 years. I’ve heard it all.

It finally all got to me. I let it.

I guess we finally got big enough that this shit is unavoidable. We’re beyond making everyone happy.

But I’ll tell ya what, we’re going to keep trying.

I am going to keep saying yes when people ask for help.

Why?

The time for disc golf is now.

Not 10 years from now.

Now.

It will take more than Mint to do it. 

There are a a million disc golf projects that NEVER get off the ground.

I am not here to compete with anyone’s ideas.

Some people seem to think I am.

I am here to grow disc golf.

I am here to help people.

Be a friend if you need it.

That is how I was 5 years ago when we took over HOTT.

That is how I was 10 years ago when I ran free clinics every weekend at Disc National.

That is how I was 15 years ago when I showed up at Pease.

It’s tough to be so consistent with a message and it eventually gets used against you.

But guess what? I’m doing what I love.

I’m doing it with really good friends.

People I didn’t know 15 years ago.

I’m an open book anytime you want to talk.

See you at The Open!